Most drivers guiltily admit to using cell phones: poll

A mobile phone is used in a car in this posed photograph in central London February 27, 2007.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Most people guiltily admit to using their cell phones while driving despite nearly half of those polled saying they have nearly hit or have been hit by someone talking on a cell phone.

A telephone survey by Nationwide Mutual Insurance of 1,500 Americans found that 81 percent of drivers have used cell phones while behind the wheel.

But people were well aware of the risks with nearly half -- or 40 percent or more -- of baby boomers and younger drivers saying they have been hit, or nearly hit, by a someone talking on a cell phone.

Drivers cited time pressures and hectic lifestyles for doing other tasks while behind the wheel, including brushing their teeth and lifting free weights.

"We live in this multi-tasking society where we are expected to stay in touch and be accessible to work, school, friends and family," said Bill Windsor, associate vice president for safety at Nationwide Mutual Insurance, which commissioned the poll.

"This social and professional pressure to stay connected is what really makes this problem as big as it is. It's creating a roadway of danger for all of us," he added in an interview.

Thirty percent said they just had too much to do and too little time to do it, and 72 percent admitted they fiddled with the radios, talked with other passengers and ate while driving.

"This kind of explosion of technology now allows drivers to engage in multiple activities that no one ever imagined and these activities take their eyes off the road," Windsor said.

The majority of accidents are caused by distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

The survey conducted found that 43 percent of people thought technology that would prevent electronic devices from working in the car could help prevent dangerous distractions, while 42 percent were in favor of laws banning the use of cell phones in cars.

(Reporting by Irene Kuan; Editing by Patricia Reaney)